Formation Leadership Team

Deb Bauer, Ph.D.

Director of Formation

A Consecrated woman of Regnum Christi for 20 years, Deb Bauer, is originally from Wisconsin and has been involved in Catholic education and youth ministry activities for over 25 years. She obtained a BS degree in School Health Education from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse so she could help young people make good decisions with their lifestyle choices. Not satisfied in the public school setting, and wanting to share her zeal for her faith, she set out to study an MA in Theology and Christian Ministry, with a specialization in Catechetics from Franciscan University of Steubenville.

She then served as a Middle School and High School Director of Religious Education and Youth Minister at a large parish in Wisconsin for three years before entering consecrated life. She felt a strong pull towards giving her entire life to Christ and serving the Church in those years and she was also looking for a community setting where her faith would be strengthened and where she could continue to evangelize.

Deb served on the Diocese of Providence Evangelization Committee, and had been involved in leading the youth work efforts in Rhode Island, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont, and Maine. Working in the area of formation of consecrated women, Deb saw the need for studying education so to be more equipped to train and educate the consecrated women and to be able to serve more effectively in Catholic educational institutions. Deb became the President of Mater Ecclesiae College and she holds her Ph.D. in Education from Capella University. Her dissertation focused on Catholic identity in the Catholic school system: how principals uphold a Catholic identity in their schools.

Before coming to Dallas, Deb served as a spiritual guide and part of the formation team of the women’s Regnum Christi section in Atlanta, she also served on the Pinecrest Academy School Board. She has also been a spiritual guide of consecrated women, and people of all ages. She sees her work in Catholic education and ministry as a means to put on the love of Christ and offer Him to others; the One she staked her life on.

Fr. Fergal O' Duill, LC

Lower School Chaplain

Fr Fergal was born in Dublin, Ireland and is the oldest of 8 children, all of whom love Ireland and none of whom live there. He graduated in Mechanical Engineering from University College Dublin and worked for 3 years as a Maintenance and Project Engineer, first in Ireland and then out of Albany, New York.

God called him to join the Legionaries of Christ in Cheshire, Connecticut in 1993. There he did his novitiate and studied Latin, Greek and Liberal Arts in the College of Humanities. He received his bachelor´s degrees in Philosophy and Theology at the Athenaeum Regina Apostolorum in Rome. Along the way Fr Fergal did youth and vocation work in Ireland. He was ordained deacon in his home Parish of the Holy Family, Dublin by Arch-bishop Diarmuid Martin in 2004. He and 58 other Legionaries were ordained to the priesthood on November 26th 2004 in St Mary Major’s Basilica in Rome by Cardinal Franc Rode.

Following ordination, he spent two years in Mexico; the first year based in Saltillo, Coahuila promoting vocations and the second in Satélite to the North of Mexico City where he was a Chaplain to the young men of the Regnum Christi and to Familia Misionera. In 2006 he returned to Ireland to work with youth and families. Fr Fergal arrived in Dallas on August 1st 2015 to serve as Chaplain to the Highlands School and help out in the Regnum Christi mission in the area. He also serves as superior of the Legionary Community in Las Colinas and as assistant chaplain to the Regnum Christi Consecrated Women. He loves to read, run, bike off-road with Fr Daniel Ray and play Texas Hold-em with his Legionary brothers

Fr. Adam Zettel, LC

High School & Middle School Chaplain

Fr. Adam is originally from Walkerton, Ontario, Canada and is the fourth in a family of six children. From a very musical family, Fr. Adam sings and plays many instruments, something that remains a hobby and an important part of his apostolic outreach.
He entered the Legion of Christ in 2004 and studied philosophy in Rome before joining the formation team for the novices in Cheshire, Connecticut. He also did youth work for a year in Michigan, running Conquest clubs and directing the formation of high school boys as part of his internship, before returning to Rome to complete his studies, where he earned a license in theology. He was ordained priest in December 2017.

During his years in Rome as a brother and as a priest, he was assistant to the Chaplain of the European University of Rome, ministering to lay university students in Italy for nearly four years. This provided a wide range of experience in spiritual direction of young people, organizing missions, and creating positive spiritual experiences for Italian college students. He is looking forward very much to beginning his priestly ministry and applying his passion for evangelization and youth work at The Highlands School.

Br. Josef Babuin, LC

Middle School Instructor of Formation

Br Josef Babuin is a religious seminarian who entered the Legionaries of Christ in 2011, when he joined the two-year novitiate in Italy. He grew up in Pordenone, Italy, and from 2007 he attended the University of Trieste, graduating with a degree in Economics, International Trade and Financial Markets.

As a Legionary brother he received a bachelor’s degree in Philosophy at the Pontifical Athenaeum Regina Apostolorum in Rome, where also obtained a Certificate in Adolescence Mentoring from the Francisco de Vitoria University in Madrid, Spain. Now he is serving his third and last year of internship at The Highlands School as instructor of formation for middle school boys and also at the Conquest Clubs around the Dallas metroplex with youth ministry work.

Br. David Gutierrez, LC

High School Instructor of Formation

Br David Gutierrez is originally from Los Angeles, California and serves as the Formation Instructor for the high-school boys and Assistant for the Conquest Clubs in DFW. Br David entered the high school seminary of the Legionaries of Christ in 2005 in Colfax, California before going on to novitiate in Cheshire, Connecticut. He studied classical humanities in Monterrey, Mexico, and returned to Cheshire to earn an associate of arts degree in humanities.

Br David recently earned his Masters in Anthropological Philosophy and has attended Developmental Psychology courses and Theology of the Body seminars that study the dignity of the human body from the Christian perspective. He also has a diploma in accompaniment from the University of Francisco de Vitoria in Madrid and is fluent in English, Spanish and Italian.

Rene Blackwell

High School Instructor of Formation

René Blackwell has been a Consecrated Woman of Regnum Christi for 22 years. She received a bachelor of arts in Education and Development (2001) and a master’s degree in Educational Leadership (2014) from the Anahuac University in Mexico City. She also holds an ecclesial masters in Religious Sciences (2008) from the Pontifical University Regina Apostolorum in Rome, and a certification in Spiritual direction.

Originally from Louisiana, René has pastoral and educational experience in Spain, Italy, Brazil, Chile and the United States, including Michigan, Rhode Island and Georgia. René comes from a large family where camping, games, and good food were all priorities. Later interests include painting, theater and writing poems and stories. This is her third year as part of the formation leadership team at the Highlands School.

Anne Will

Middle School Instructor of Formation

Anne Will is originally from Ohio, where she happily grew up out in the country as the fifth of eight children. She became more involved in her Faith when she joined the Challenge girls’ club in Middle School and by high school she was going on mission trips with her friends. As she discerned which college to go to, she began to feel God calling her to dedicate her life to Him. After discerning with the Consecrated Women of Regnum Christi during her Senior year of high school, she said “yes” to Our Lord’s call and was consecrated on August 20th, 2005.

During her years of formation, Anne received her bachelor’s degree in Pastoral and Religious studies at Mater Ecclesiae College. Since 2009, she has worked at Regnum Christi schools in Rhode Island and Florida, as well as assisting with youth groups in parishes. In 2015, she arrived to the Dallas community and currently serves as Instructor of Formation for the Middle School Girls at The Highlands School. “Life is all about relationships: with God and with every other person we encounter.”

Mary Nuxoll

Part time Instructor of Formation

Originally from Cottonwood, ID Mary Nuxoll joins us as a part time instructor on the Formation Leadership Team. She has many years of experience working with youth; serving as a teacher and mentor at the Himalaya School in Mexico and coordinator of ECYD. She brings to us the richness of being bilingual in Spanish as well as understanding and working with people from different cultures.

Since arriving to Dallas in 2013, Mary earned a Masters in Clinical Psychology from the University of Dallas and she will be enhancing our middle school programs by utilizing what she has learned in her clinical counseling program. Mary will be working part time with our middle school students and serve in an advisory capacity for the high school level. She will also be pursuing her full license as a Professional Counselor for the State of Texas over the next few years and will be completing her internship by seeing private clients in Coppell.

Ashley Brundy

Dean of Students

Ashlyn Brundy grew up in a small country town called El Centro, CA. She spent ten years of her life crossing the border to go to school at Instituto Felix de Jesus Rougier in Mexicali, Baja California. She received her B.A. in Spanish and Italian Studies from Santa Clara University and is continuing her education at the University of Dallas to obtain a Masters in Theological Studies.

Ashlyn also gave a year of her life to the RCMC (Regnum Christi Mission Corps) program, where she worked as an Assistant to the Formation Director at Everest Academy in Manila, Philippines. During her year, she was asked to teach Theology of the Body to 9th graders, plan retreats for high school students and coordinate Holy Week missions with students from various schools.

Steve Wright

Athletic Director

Steve Wright graduated from Oklahoma State University with a degree in Accounting and spent the early part of his career as a CPA with Deloitte Haskins and Sells. Following his years at Deloitte he moved into the private sector where he eventually became the head of the Global Supply Chain Organizations for two of the world’s largest restaurant companies. Upon retiring from the corporate world he answered the call to become the Athletic Director at our school and is now entering his sixth year in that role.

Both of Steve’s children are products of The Highlands School. The first, his daughter, is currently a Youth Minister in Rockford, Illinois and his son is now in his second year at Texas A&M. Steve is a 32 year member of St. Ann Parish in Coppell where he has been actively involved in youth ministry serving kids ranging from Kindergarten up to High School.